There is nothing weird with having a fear of dogs, and in fact it is my opinion that _everyone_ should be cautious around dogs. It would be naive to believe that someone's pet or even your own is incapable of an attack. Animals are strange creatures and you have no way to be certain how an animal will react to you or the situation. A dog can attack out of fear, and you have no way of knowing what he's afraid of. It could be your hair, the clothing you wear, your voice. This means you should be very careful about your first meeting with a dog. I read somewhere that there is a recommended way to approach a strange dog.. I can't remember that but for example you don't want to stare into it's eyes and you don't want to make wild arm movements at it or stick your hand out to pet it. Basically you don't want to appear aggressive. Relax, Let the dog come to you, and smell you. If it's a dog that runs and jumps on you, try to resist pushing it away. Try to remain calm. Another thing is, you don't want to run away. It is a dogs instinct to give CHASE even if it has no intention of biting.I think you should watch some Cesar Milan's Dog Whisperer., I don't necessarily agree with his training techniques, but he knows how to handle strange dogs. He's calm and confident, it shows in his movement and voice, and the dogs know it. Despite being a professional, you will see he is also very careful when he first confronts a dog.Two important things:#1 Every dog is different and could react in a way you don't expect. Expect the unexpected. NO dog is 100% predictable. #2 Every dog (within reason) has the potential to injure and/or kill. You can see just by Googling videos that even police dogs and other trained canines have attacked for seemingly no reason. The point of this was not to scare you more, but to remind you of the truth. It can take years to gain a trust with your OWN pet, even when raised from a puppy, and even then a wise person should not have complete 100% trust. You DON'T want to be the person who tries to hug every dog they meet. This is much too trusting. It can take a very long time to be comfortable around strange dogs. I have been a dog owner all of my life, and I am certainly very cautious when meeting a large 100lb dog for the first few times.The answer to your question is a simple one. You need experience around these animals. I don't think there is any other way. You want to start out being around puppies and small dogs if possible, or very old and docile pets of people you trust. Throw balls for them or something. You will gain confidence and learn about the strange quirks this animal has. Your fear of dogs only means you are an intelligent person. You just have to reduce the "FEAR" to a "CAUTION". You don't have to AVOID dogs. Just be careful. Let every dog new dog you meet be a new experience. You might find that once you get to know a dog, it is a very gentle and fun creature to be around. Happiness is a warm puppy. Oh, and it might be a good idea to carry around some dog treats if you expect to see dogs. Dogs like people who make food appear. I'm uncomfortable with my cousin's overweight malamute jumping on me (because I don't want to thrust my arms out to shove it-- could be interpreted as an aggressive action) so I distract it with a dog biscuit and it forgets about jumping on me and then forgets I exist. Some people don't like their pets behind fed by strangers, but oh well.** I am not an expert and may be wrong.. this is just my opinion after some experience with dogs and reading a few books on canine psychology / training.